FORGOTTEN FAMILIES IN 32505

to about 70 students. They should help more students, but they operate with limited resources. The Oakcrest staff hands out weekend bags to 75 of its 474 students. Manna Food Pantries provides the bags, which include dry milk, cups of fruit and vegetables, breakfast bars and oatmeal. Kiwanis Club donates another 35 bags to Oakcrest every other week, and those include toothbrushes and toothpaste.

During the school day, breakfast bars run out quickly. The staff hands late-arriving students the bars to ensure they have some nourishment before entering the classroom.

By Tom St. Myer

A parade of smiling and waving Oakcrest Elementary teachers and staff greet students each morning as they walk into the school. Another group lines up in the hallways and welcomes the children warmly once they are inside.

"You just have to put the smile on because kids are little sponges and mirrors, so if you're upbeat and greeting them positively, that's going to make them feel welcome," said Lori Martin, a positive behavioral intervention and supports coach and family and community liaison.

Martin is in her 10th year at Oakcrest and is all too familiar with what awaits an overwhelming number of students back home. She visited a family home recently and described the filth as "unreal." Neither their windows nor front door shut, urine covered the front porch and the house reeked of cigarette smoke. The students wear dirty clothes to school each day, and Martin keeps a backpack in her office with fresh clothes for them while she cleans the dirty ones with the school's washer and dryer.

The described family is not an anomaly in the 32505 ZIP code. The population is nearly 30,000, and the median household income is a mere $38,863, almost $20,000 below the Escambia County average, according to the U.S. Census. Oakcrest and Montclair Elementary educators have no shortage of stories about the inhumane conditions in which some of their students grow up.

"We had a family around Christmas time that had three kids whose electricity was out for over a month, and then they lost their water," Oakcrest Principal Dawn Turley said.

Montclair Principal Shona Person said 40 of their 385 students are homeless, meaning they lack regular and adequate nighttime residence. She added the conditions aren't much better for students with a steady place to sleep each night.

Neither school is exactly operating with state-of-the-art technology. The lower grade levels have iPads, but the older students use recycled Chromebooks. Both principals said iPad donations would be extremely beneficial to the older students.

Montclair plans to turn a classroom into a STEM lab but lacks the resources at the moment to buy the proper equipment. A washer and dryer and books are also needed. The library bookshelves are sparsely filled. Montclair applied for a book vending machine grant, but A.K. Suter Elementary received the grant instead.

Staff at both schools said what the students need most, though, is to be in a nurturing environment for longer than the six-hour school day. The bad habits learned outside of school are difficult to correct in such a short time.

Bowman, whose twin sons are kindergarteners at Montclair, shared, "There are things that are being ignored for the poor population of Pensacola, and I think it's really hard for parents to get involved in their kids' education and be hands-on because there are not enough resources."

She added, "There's a lot of students who are suffering at home due to negligent parents, or there are students who are suffering because their parents are forced to work two jobs to make ends meet."

Residents in the area periodically pack their few belongings, grab their kids and leave for greener pastures, only to return a few months later even more financially strapped. Their children bounce in and out of schools.

"Our kids are really transient," Martin said. "A lot of times what'll happen this time of year is the parents will receive income tax money, so they'll move out of mom's or grandma's house and get their own place and change schools, and then they'll lose the house. The next month, the kids are coming back."

Sherekia Williams is a mother of four whose second oldest is a second grader at Montclair. She prefers to live elsewhere but takes some solace in the environment Montclair provides her second grader.

The staff is overwhelmingly Black and mirrors the student body. Williams volunteers as a ReadingPal and feels a sense of pride when she walks the hallways and sees pictures of former President Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr. and other Blacks of historical significance.

"Children need to see people who look like them in places of leadership, places of authority," she said. "That equal representation is very important for younger, smaller children. Montclair is just that. There's no question about identity. Walk the hallways, and you see pictures of influential people who look just like them."

LOVE & HUGS

One student shares a bed with three others and comes to school daily reeking of body odor. Yet, the good-humored student downplayed the situation when she asked him what was most troublesome about his home life.

"He said, 'Opening a jar of pickles. There are just too many people in the house, and they don't worry about me, and I just need help opening pickles,'" Person said.

So Many Needs

Both 32505 elementary schools rely heavily on donations to provide their students with essentials. Hundreds walk through the doors each day ill-prepared to learn. Each elementary earned a D in 2021-22, and they have received two Ds and an F among their last five grades.

Every Friday, the Montclair staff hands out food and hygiene products in weekend bags

"If we could keep our kids 24 hours, it would be so much easier," Martin said. "What they're exposed to in their home environment is much worse than other students."

Person advocates for establishing boarding schools in the 32505 to ensure children are properly cared for every minute possible. She said the next best option would be a community school model like C.A. Weis Elementary. The community school model includes on-site access to health and wellness services, food pantries, counseling, leadership opportunities, cultural enrichment activities, after-school activities and parent resource centers.

"We do so much work here in terms of investing in social and emotional learning and making them feel a part of the campus and being leaders, and then they go out, and you have no control," Person said.

Parents in 32505 face many challenges. Alexa

Escambia County Public Schools struggles to find administrators, teachers and teacher assistants with the pedigree to thrive in such a challenging environment. Both schools have teaching vacancies and relatively high turnover.

Martin admitted the daily challenges the Oakcrest staff tackles can be daunting and too much for some teachers and teacher assistants.

"We do have turnover, but how we kind of look at it is this is not for everyone," Martin said. "We want people to be happy working here, so there are no hard feelings if someone wants to go elsewhere because we're just looking for the next person to add to our family."

However, she believes anyone who turns a blind eye to her community misses a golden opportunity to be a difference maker. She is certain anyone who spends quality time with her students will want to help.

"There are a lot of gut-wrenching things we see, and sometimes you'll go home, and you'll be in tears," Martin said. "But then you see the kids and the difference you're making in the kids' lives and the I love you's and hugs." {in}

NAS WHITING HONORED Last fall, Naval Air Station Whiting Field was nominated as the Southeast Region's top pick in the small installation category for Navy Installations Command (CNIC) FY-23 Installation Excellence Award program. Leaders across the Navy Installations Command enterprise recently reviewed the nominations and selected finalists for the competition, recognizing the top three installations in the large and small categories for outstanding performance during fiscal year 2022.

Vice Adm. Yancy Lindsey, CNIC, announced last month that NAS Whiting Field took second place in the small shore category, behind Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa.

The award lauds the top Navy commands at shore for their installation management, program excellence and community outreach. Installations are graded across several key areas, including facilities management, quality of life, environment, energy, property stewardship, communication, safety and health, as well as many other categories. Each entrant is judged on a write-up of accomplishments plus supporting documentation and photographs.

NAS Whiting Field commanding officer Capt. Paul N. Flores was quick to praise his team for the accomplishment. "I could not be more proud of the entire team here at NAS Whiting Field. This award is truly a team effort of all hands on the base. It could not have been accomplished without all the hard work of everyone on the team. Congratulations, and thanks for everything you do every day."

Public Information Officer Julie Ziegenhorn told Inweekly, "This is our fifth year in the last eight years that we've been recognized through the Commander Navy installations command. We are so proud of this base and the impact we have on the local area. We are the largest aviation training base in the Navy, and we are just so proud of the accomplishments of our sailors and the people that make the mission happen every day."

"The community is a large player in the background in all of the community military partnering in this area," added Community Planning Liaison

Officer Randy Roy. "The whole Northwest Florida corridor is absolutely topnotch. When we say that we're the number one base in the region, it is critical that not only this team plays together, but we also have the community and its support."

LILY HALL OPEN Pensacola's newest boutique lodging, restaurant and event space, Lily Hall, is now open for business. Lily Hall, located at 415 N. Alcaniz St., has 15 luxury lodging rooms, and its first floor houses its restaurant, Brother Fox, and speakeasy, Sister Hen.

"This is a project that's four years in the making," co-owner Nathan Weinberg told Inweekly. "This building is coming out a shining jewel, and it will sit among the top category lodging facilities on the Florida Panhandle. I couldn't be more proud of it."

Rooms can be booked and restaurant reservations made online at lilyhall.com. Weinberg said, "Our staff is really excited to bring our menu to life and serve our guests as they arrive."

He touted Brother Fox's wings. "If you're a chicken wing fan, there's a chicken wing here that'll change your life."

Weinberg mentioned another menu item. "There's something on here that's really surprised me. It's a head of cabbage that's literally cooked in the embers of our custom-made grill and served with a house-made yogurt sauce. I tell you, it'll knock your socks off, and it's really incredible."

Why did he and his partners open this venture in Pensacola? Weinberg said, "When you think about parts of the country that are on the rise or parts of the country that have all of the elements to be incredible successes, Pensacola arrives on that list every single time. It's adjacent to the ocean. It's got a wonderful historical culture, and we wanted to be a part of that."

American

MAGIC NAMED

Parade

MARSHALS Pensacola Mardi Gras has chosen the American Magic sailing team as parade marshals for the 2023 Pensacola Mardi Gras Grand Parade, which is at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, in downtown Pensacola.

American Magic has been training in Pensacola for the 37th America's Cup in 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. Their presence in Pensacola Bay has now become a regular part of life in Pensacola, confirming the city as a world-class sailing environment.

"We are thrilled that Pensacola's biggest event is going to include American Magic as its Grand Marshalls, said Danny Zimmern, president of Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc. "While the sailing team doesn't get much fan appreciation when they are on the water, being able to get close and interact with 80,000 people should be a real treat for the team and bring awareness to the team's presence in Pensacola."

ALERT MISFIRE Pensacola Catholic High was the victim of a swatting incident on Wednesday, Feb. 8, when someone notified law enforcement of a possible active shooter situation at the school. Pensacola Police and the Escambia County Sheriff's Office dispatched units and found it was a false alarm.

Unfortunately, Escambia County's Everbridge alert system failed to operate correctly. The alert system is a reverse 911 notification system that sends texts to groups of people in a defined geographic area. Everbridge is preloaded with all known Escambia County white and yellow page phone numbers and incorporates numbers from residents who have signed up to receive alerts.

Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore told Inweekly that the first message failed to include a headline with key facts about the incident, such as where the possible shooting occurred.

The message stated, "A civil authority has issued a civil emergency message for the following counties or areas: Escambia, FL; at 11:41 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2023, effective to 12:41 p.m. Message from IPAWSCAP. Active shooter reported in your area, run, hide or fight. Active shooter reported in your area, run, hide or fight."

Though county staff marked the appropriate area to receive the message on the computer, the warning was sent well beyond Pensacola Catholic's neighborhood to Milton and Santa Rosa counties. Later, when the all-cleared message was sent, the text was received by a much smaller group of people, leaving many worried about their safety.

Gilmore said part of the problem was human error and not completely understanding the new systems. However, his staff is working with the software company to figure out why the mistakes happened, and his people will be better prepared for the next emergency notification.

BERGOSH PRAISES DESANTIS'S PLAN Gov.

Ron DeSantis's proposed Moving Florida Forward initiative includes $162 million to widen I-10 to six lanes from the eastbound weigh station to Nine Mile Road and reconstruct the interchange at Nine Mile Road as a diverging diamond. If passed by the legislature, the proposal would invest $4 billion of general revenue and leverage additional funding over the next four years for a total of $7 billion to strengthen Florida's transportation infrastructure.

District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh told Inweekly, "This is new money and does not pull money from the Beulah interchange, which is already identified as the number one project by the regional TPO and is fully funded in the 10-year work program."

He added, "The governor wants to push it forward in six years. I think that's an aggressive timeline given all the federal requirements with the federal, but, hey, if they can get it done in six years, that's a huge win for Escambia County, the entire community and District 1 in particular."

WHITE RUNNING

Former State Rep. Frank White announced last week that he is running for Sen. Doug Broxson's seat. Broxson terms out of office in 2024.

"The position is tremendously important to Northwest Florida without a doubt," White told Inweekly. "I feel called to run. I love Pensacola. I love Northwest Florida. We're all called to serve in certain ways, and this is the way I want to serve. So we're filed, and we're off and running."

White represented House District 2 from 2016-2018. He ran for Florida Attorney General in 2018, losing the GOP primary to Ashley Moody, who went on to win the general election. He sees his time spent in the Florida House as an asset.

"The people that I worked with in the House— people who trusted me and who I trust—are in the Senate," White said. "I think those relationships would be good for our area. I wouldn't be starting as a brand-new rookie showing up."

Rep. Alex Andrade, who took over White's seat in the House, was quick to endorse his predecessor. "I'm excited to endorse Frank and support him in his race, and I look forward to working with him in the Florida Legislature. Frank is the only candidate I trust to prioritize a culture of integrity and collaboration in our delegation."

LUTH LEAVES FLORIDAWEST After more than 11 years leading economic development with Greater Pensacola Chamber and FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, Scott Luth announced he is stepping down as CEO. Luth told the board of directors he is ready for a new challenge.

"When I first came to Pensacola, I saw a lot of opportunity to grow the region," said Luth. "First with the Chamber and then FloridaWest, I knew with the right team we could make a difference, and we did."

Big wins for Pensacola include the creation/ retention of more than 8,000 jobs since 2014, and in just the past year, $38.6 million in capital investment that turned into a business development economic impact of $114 million and $24 million in earnings from 309 jobs. Luth has agreed to stay on for the next four months to ensure a smooth transition.

"We thank Scott for his years of service to the region and we wish him well," said FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance board chair, Rick Byars. "We'll begin a search right away and I'm grateful Scott will stay on for a bit to help with the transition."

UWF WIN MILESTONE When the University of West Florida's women's basketball defeated Christian Brothers University on Saturday, Feb. 4, the team gave head coach Stephanie Lawrence Yelton her 184th win, making her the winningest coach in program history. Coach Yelton accomplished the feat in her 11th season and 304th game–49 faster than her predecessor.

The coach talked with Inweekly about her 2022-23 squad. "This year's team has the mentality of our 2017 team that went to the Elite Eight. We've got a group of young women who just love basketball. They come in the gym every day and really work hard. They do what I ask them to do and are really committed to leaving a legacy here at West Florida."

Coach Yelton admitted that the pressure of breaking the win record may have impacted the team. "Our team was feeling a little bit of that pressure during this season, knowing we were 16 games away from getting that record. We went on a 10-game win streak, which started to build the pressure. Then, we lost one right before the Christian Brothers."

She continued, "Sometimes you have to lose to win. And I think for us, that loss brought us back down to earth, we refocused, and we really played well on Saturday."

What's the next phase? It appears to be censorship.

Enter Suzanne Spaulding on the national stage. Spaulding, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, is the director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the center. She has been pushing the narrative that it's wrong to be critical of our government, especially the judiciary. Attorneys shouldn't call out possible political influences impacting judge's decisions because they erode confidence in our justice system.

Free speech is a right that doesn't always make everyone happy, but it's vital to our democratic republic. Attacking the messenger—in this instance, plaintiff attorneys—is always easier than dealing with criticism. Our judges need to be watched as closely as other parts of our government, especially since the appointments are without term limits.

PRESEASON BASEBALL Baseball returns to Blue Wahoos Stadium later this month with a local showdown between Baker High School and Pensacola High School at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, kicking off a 36-game preseason schedule hosted in downtown Pensacola. The full preseason game schedule highlights 29 collegiate games and seven high school games between Feb. 25 and March 27.

The Pensacola Chamber Foundation is collecting nominations for the Leadership Pensacola (LeaP) Class of 2024. A program of the Pensacola Chamber Foundation, LeaP is intended to help participants acquire an understanding of the issues facing our local community and gain the leadership skills necessary to resolve them.

LEAP NOMINATIONS

"Blue Wahoos Stadium is a community ballpark, and we're thrilled to provide local high school players a full professional baseball experience under the lights as well as showcase our beautiful community to collegiate athletes from across the country," General Manager Steve Brice said. "We can't wait to have the best fans in baseball back at Blue Wahoos Stadium throughout February and March as we prepare for Blue Wahoos Opening Day on April 7."

To nominate yourself or someone else from the Pensacola community, visit bit.ly/3YpEZjS. The deadline to submit a nomination is Tuesday, Feb. 28. Following the close of nominations, all nominees will receive an electronic application via email.

After Tort Reform

Plaintiff attorneys have long been the targets of the Florida Chamber, insurance companies and other special interest groups. The standard argument is lawsuits drive up costs and should be restricted. And Florida lawmakers love tort reform bills almost as much as gun rights and school voucher legislation.

When the Florida Legislature held a special session last May to deal with rising insurance premiums, the lawmakers repealed the homeowners' right to have the insurance company pay their attorney fees if they win their lawsuit. They also made it more difficult for homeowners to prove bad faith on the part of their insurers. And lawmakers received no concessions on premiums from the insurance companies for these law changes.

Eventually, tort reforms will lose favor with voters as they see their legal remedies shrink.

West Florida High will take on Milton High at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 9. Back-to-back high school doubleheaders will be held on March 23 and 24, with Arnold High taking on Pensacola Catholic at 4 p.m. and Tate playing South Walton at 7 p.m. on March 23. The following day, Northview High will play Central High at 4 p.m., followed by Tate against Arnold at 7 p.m. The high school schedule will conclude with the annual showdown between Escambia High and Gulf Breeze High at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 27.

The collegiate slate at Blue Wahoos Stadium will again be headlined by Studer's Blue Wahoos Stadium Collegiate Challenge, a two-week spring showdown led by the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, team owner Quint Studer's alma mater. Eight colleges will participate in the tournament in 2023, playing 29 games between March 14 and March 23. This year, the tournament will feature UW-Whitewater (Wisconsin), Spalding University (Kentucky), Carroll University (Wisconsin), Edgewood College (Wisconsin), UWPlatteville (Wisconsin), Grinnell College (Iowa), Hendrix College (Arkansas) and Birmingham Southern College (Alabama).

A full schedule of games and tickets are available at bluewahoos.com. {in}

Danny Zimmern's heart bleeds purple, green and gold.

The president of Pensacola Mardi Gras, Inc.— the folks who put on several of the season's biggest events, including the Grand Mardi Gras Parade, and serve as the clearinghouse for all things Mardi Gras in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties—had a heart attack several years ago. The thing he finds most worth mentioning is that his cardiologist also loves Mardi Gras.

"See how it all fits together," Zimmern said. "He's an LSU graduate and he's fantastic and a great member of the community himself, but it all comes together for me. It is really blessed."

Zimmern has stents, and he feels great now, he said—adding a disclaimer that he can't lead Mardi Gras forever.

Krewe Intentions

Zimmern has been living on Mardi Gras time since he lined up floats for the big parade in the late 1980s—then composed of only 30-40 entries compared to today's 225.

His first vested interest in the festivities was seeing his daughter, Hannah, ride atop the last float.

"That was the big win for several years," Zimmern said. "The kids got older; now they've graduated from law school and all sorts of other things, so the world changes over time. But the family piece of Mardi Gras for us was big from the beginning."

They still talk about it, too, he said.

Zimmern took over the parade in 2000—it was the biggest day in Pensacola back then, too. He remembers one election year thinking it was fun to feature candidates in the parade.

The lifeblood, though, has always been the krewes—Mardi Gras groups that band together for all sorts of reasons, Zimmern said. Today, they can identify 90, and they're all different, he said.

"All-male krewes, all-female krewes, couplesonly krewes, gay krewes; there's African kings and African queen krewes," Zimmern said. "There's causes that krewes unite behind—for example, the Krewe du YaYas work hard to bring awareness and education to breast cancer. They famously wear their pink wigs … But what the krewes do is they get Pensacola's active and energetic folks, and they're the folks that are doers. They don't sit in the rocking chair, so to speak. Through Mardi Gras krewes, so many 501(c)3s and other nonprofits get supported."

The Hip Huggers supported the Escambia County Animal Shelter this year, said Nicole Stacey, the vice president of Destination Development for Visit Pensacola and a board member of the krewe.

Stacey enjoys the philanthropy of their allwoman krewe. Its theme—hence the name—is 1960s British mod.

"Our big thing is that we promote peace, love and friendship and Pensacola," Stacey said.

This will mark a special year for Stacey and the Hip Huggers, with the Krewe celebrating 25 years and her celebrating a decade being a mem-